MPA Diversity Travel Award

The call for the 2026 Graduate Student Diversity Travel Award submissions is out and is due January 31st! 

At MPA, we are committed to increasing diversity within our membership and at our annual conference. Diversity increases the breadth of what we study and how we study it. We recognize that many forms of diversity are important to consider in maximizing feelings of inclusion and belonging among all groups.

Graduate students who are first-author presenters at the 2026 MPA annual meeting (April 16-18) may apply for an MPA Diversity Travel Award. Individuals who identify as ethnic/racial minorities, first-generation college students, LGBTQIA students, students with a disability, and others from underrepresented groups are eligible. Each award provides a $200 stipend to offset travel costs for the annual meeting. Typically, six awards are available.

You will be asked to complete a brief survey which will include your letter of application and the title and original 400-word abstract of your paper or poster. In your letter, be sure to indicate how you meet the criteria. Also, include a brief paragraph about what you do to advance diversity, inclusion, or social justice issues. The MPA Diversity Statement can be found HERE, and the application form can be found HERE. 

You must also have a letter of support from a faculty member, which they submit separately; please find this form HERE.

Award recipients will be recognized and receive their stipend immediately prior to the Presidential Address on Friday of the conference. Previous winners are not eligible. A list of previous years’ winners is below.

Any questions should be directed to MPA Associate Executive Officer, Dr. Russ Webster (rjw5548@psu.edu). 

2025 Diversity Travel Award Winners
Marcus Antu, University of Missouri- Columbia
Nishka Gupta, Cleveland State University
Hellen Kyler, Indiana University
Minju Lee, Michigan State University
Mingjia (Sherlock) Liu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sarah Osaro, University of Iowa
Alex Sánchez, Ball State University
Zoe Schultz, Saint Louis University
Hailey Shangin, University of Michigan
Zhixu (Rick) Yang, Purdue University

2024 Diversity Travel Award Winners
Alicia Bowling, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Emily Brown, University of Colorado Boulder
Jonathan Doriscar, Northwestern University
Swanaya Gurjar, Cleveland State University
Chelsea Howd, Western Kentucky University
Shruti Kinkel-Ram, Miami University
Ellen Knowles, University of South Dakota
Kellyann Navarre, Cleveland State University
Elisabeth Noland, Purdue University
Melanie Reyes, St. Louis University
LaCount Togans, Miami University

2023 Diversity Travel Award Winners
Sheba Aikawa, University of Colorado Boulder
Wesley Barnhart, Bowling Green State University
Eboni Bradley, Purdue University
Nadia Floyd, University of Colorado Boulder
Janessa Garcia, University of Akron
Alexis Jones, Auburn University
Eva Meza, University of California, Davis
Noelle Mongene, Oakland University
Nishi Ravi, Marquette University
Jazlyn Rowan, Indiana University Bloomington
Vanessa Wang, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Andrew White, Indiana University Bloomington

2022 Diversity Travel Award Winners
Oreoluwa Akinbo, Northern Illinois University
Trevor Bell, Kansas State University
Pamala Dayley, University of California Los Angeles
Arielle Flint, Illinois State University
Nia Gipson, University of Arkansas
Alexandria Hamilton, University of Indianapolis
Troy Kearse, Howard University
Ugochinyere Onyeukwa, The University of Baltimore
Mariah Ravet, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Simrat Samra, University of Denver
Javier Granados Sumayoa, The Ohio State University